Containers



July 29, 1958 J. KELLER CONTAINERS Filed March 20, 1953 v INVENTOR.JOSEP H KELLER ATTORNEYS.

CONTAINERS Joseph Keller, Flushing, N. Y.

Application March 20, 1953, Serial No. 343,641

4 Claims. (Cl. 40-4) This invention relates to containers, and moreparticularly to containers such as bottles or prescription vialscommonly used by pharmacists to contain prescribed medicines and whereit is necessary to individually label each bottle. Often when suchprescriptions are renewed, the label must be changed and given a newnumber and date.

An object of the invention is to provide a container to which the labelmay be attached without glue and wherein the label is covered by atransparent protective member.

Another object is to provide a container of the class described, theprotective member covering the label being part of the container.

A further object is to provide a container wherein the label isprotected by a sleeve which always remains associated with the containeryet permits the label to be changed at will without disassociating thesleeve and container.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing specification which discloses, by way of example, prescriptionvials embodying several forms of the invention.

It will be understood that this disclosure is illustrative and notlimitative of the invention which is as defined by the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a container embodying theinvention;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2, 2, Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front view of the container, Figures 1 and 2, with a labelin place;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of constructionof the container, Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of constructionof the container, Figure 1; V

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of constructionof the container, Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of constructionof the container, Figure 1;

Figure 8 is a vertical plan view of the container, Figure 7;

Figure 8A is a transverse sectional view of the line 8a, Figure 8; and

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of containerembodying the invention.

The body of the vial may be made of any suitable material, such asglass, plastic, wood or metal, and same may be blown, molded, cast, orfabricated in any suitable manner. The body may be of opaque material,or both it and the protective member overlying the label may be ofplastic.

In the illustrations here given, it will be understood that the bodiesand protective members are made of transparent plastic material, andwhile shown as circular in cross section, may be of any other desiredshape.

Referring to Figure 1, the body member of a vial has the cylindricalouter wall 10 closed by the bottom 11,

Yates Patent 0' 2,844,893 Patented July 29, 1958 forming a chamber 12,into which the material to be dispersed is placed via neck 13 in opencommunication therewith.

It will be noted that the cylindrical wall 10 is outwardly smooth fromend to end, and at each end thereof is placed annular flat rings 14, 15.Surrounding these rings and surrounding the body therebetween as shownis the label-retaining member 16, which comprises a sleeve oftransparent material, the inner wall 17, of which is spaced apart fromthe outer wall 18, of the body leaving the label space 19, therebetween.

A slot 20 is made in the sleeve 16 to permit a label shown at 21, Figure2, to be inserted into the space 19. The end 22 of this label may besnapped below the stop 23, but can be easily disengaged therefrom andthe entire label pulled out of 'slot 20, in case it is desired to changethe label.

It will be noted that label 21 is easily placed, requires no glue, isclearly visible and protected from dirt, etc., and is easily removed andreplaced, and that the means for securing the label in place constitutespart of the container.

The container, Figures 1 and 2, complete with label or sleeve 16 or 15may be integral with 10, and 14 integral with 16. Any arrangement may beused provide the label space 19.

If desired, the container, Figure 1, may be molded or otherwise formedin one piece, the space 19 and slot 20 'being formed therein when thebody is cast or otherwise formed.

Figure 4 shows a modification of the invention. Here the body 24 has abottom portion forming the stepped flange 25, adapted to receive one end26, of the transparent cylindrical sleeve 27, which is spaced apart fromthe outer wall of body 24 to provide the label space 28 therebetween.The label in this construction is inserted and removed from space 28through the open top 29.

A suitable cap or cover 30 fits either over the upstanding end 31 ofbody 24 or fits Within the same like a cork. In either case the outerrim 32 covers the annular opening 29 to space 28.

Referring to Figure 5, a modified construction is shown wherein the body33 has a stepped flange 34, formed in the outer wall thereof to receivethe lower end 35 of the sleeve 36 and provide the label space 37 betweenthe sleeve and body as shown. The label is inserted at 38 and thisopening is closed by a cap like 30 in Figure 4.

In Figure 6, the stepped flange 35 of Figure 5 is omitted, and insteadthe bottom portion 39 of sleeve 40 is turned inwardly and secured to thebody 41, and provides the label space 42 as shown. The same cap andsealing construction is used as shown in Figure 4.

In Figure 7 the body 43 has a recess 44 extending around the body. Thelabel 45 is placed therein and the resilient split transparentlabel-retaining ring 46 is sprung or snapped over the label and retainssame in position.

In Figure 9, instead of the recess 44 retaining the label 45 and ring46, the body 47 has the outwardly extending flanges 48, 49, and thelabel 45 and ring 46 lie between these flanges as shown. Thecross-sectional view of Figures 8 and 9 is as shown in Figure 8A, wherethe ring 46 is shown as springing in place over label 45. The ring 46may lap, as shown at 50 to facilitate removal, or may be slightlyshorter than the label to provide an end that can be pulled outwardly torelease the ring from the container.

It will be noted that the label can be removed and replaced on thecontainers, Figures 1 to 6, inclusive, without disassociating thesleeves 16, 27, 36 or 40, and this is also true of the sleeves 46,Figures 8 and 9. When that will round containers are used, as it ismerely necessary to revolve the sleeves on the containers, pull out thelabels from below the sleeves and insert one end of a label betweensleeve and container and then revolve the sleeve to overlie the label.

What is claimed is:

l. A container comprising a cylindrical side wall having a bottom walland provided with a removable top, a pair of spaced, parallel annularridges formed on the outer surface of said side wall providing anannular groove therebetween, a resilient transparent sleeve embracingsaid side wall between said ridges, the top and bottom edges of saidsleeve engaging respective ridges, and said sleeve being split so as toaccommodate a label between the sleeve and the side wall within the saidgroove between the ridges, said sleeve being of greater length than thecircumference of the side wall within the groove so that the oppositeends of the sleeve overlap to embracingly engage the side wall andfrictionally retain the label in place between the sleeve and the sidewall.

2. A cylindrical container having a peripheral upright wall with acircumferential depression formed therein, a transparent split sleevefitted to turn freely in said depression with its outer surfacesubstantially flush with the outer surface of said wall at the sides ofthe depression, said sleeve being permanently associated with said wallwith a space between it and the depression to provide clearance for alabel insert to be inserted via the split in said sleeve and into thespace between said sleeve and the bottom of the depressen,

3. A cylindrical container having a peripheral upright wall with acircumferential depression formed therein,

a transparent split sleeve fitted to turn freely in said depression withits outer surface substantially flush with the outer surface of saidwall at the sides of the depression, said sleeve being permanentlyassociated with said wall with a space between it and the depression toprovide clearance for a label insert to be inserted via the split insaid sleeve and into the space between said sleeve and the bottom of thedepression, said sleeve at the split being provided with an overlappingend normally biased in- References Cited in the file of this patentUNITED STATES PATENTS 566,761 Hosmer Sept. 1, 1896 991,608 Day May 9,1911 1,380,633 Brown June 7, 1921 1,508,170 DOlier Sept. 9, 19241,653,608 Allen Dec. 27, 1927 2,159,547 Bjorltquist May 23, 19392,538,684 Gushard et al Jan. 16, 1951 2,567,395 Peterson Sept. 11, 19512,690,624 Phillips Oct. 5, 1954

